Vehicle engines typically have an aluminum cylinder head that bolts atop the engine block and has coolant inlet ports for providing engine coolant into the engine block. A machined deck surrounds the coolant inlet ports and provides a sealing surface against which a coolant-sealing gasket is seated. A coolant header presses against the sealing gasket and is bolted to the cylinder head so that engine coolant that enters through the header will then flow through the coolant inlet port. Over time, particularly when improper coolant change intervals have been observed, the aluminum material of the engine head surrounding the coolant inlet port may become corroded and eroded, and thereby no longer provide an effective sealing surface for contact by the coolant sealing gasket.
The common industry practice is to remove the coolant header and the gasket and then machine the sealing surface in an attempt to remove the corrosion pits. In general, however, material removal from the gasket sealing surface should not exceed about 0.014 inches. Thus, in case of more severe corrosion and erosion, the aluminum cylinder head must be removed and discarded and replaced with a costly replacement aluminum cylinder head.
It would be desirable to provide a new and improved method for repairing a corroded engine cylinder head rather than requiring the entire replacement of the cylinder head with a new and costly replacement part.